This week I got to experience the brutal weekly Organ Colloquium. Required by the department, this is a meeting on Monday nights (separate from studio class) where all the organ majors (at every level, undergrad, masters, and DMA) meet. Usually there is a guest lecturer or presentation. This week the topic was a new digital organ that could connect to the internet for the possibility of international masterclasses and the like. I don't know how well the presentation was received, because many of the Eastman Organists are purists, and would be aghast at such a newfangled instrument, when the familiar mechanical-action instruments still work well enough.
Anyway, after the lecture, Colloquium always ends with an anthem and a hymn. Each week, one student chooses an anthem to teach to the rest of the department (the 'choir') then perform. They have something like 25 minutes to conduct a rehearsal of the piece, include a runthrough (conducting from the console!), and receive criticism. This week, one of the DMA students taught us a Nunc Dimittis he wrote himself. After we finished the final runthrough, I saw how skilled many in the department are at criticizing! The positive comments were far outnumbered by the negative criticism. When it is my turn, I will be scared shitless, because I can't imagine enjoying being devoured by 45 (more experienced) organ students. And THEN, the hymn was played by a DMA student who played exceptionally well (she chose "Come Labor On"). Also, in the photocopies she distributed to us, she marked the breathing she wanted; she would mark a carrythrough of breath whenever a musical phrase ended without punctuation in the text. This is how I've learned to sing hymns. Anyway, after she played at a perfect tempo, she was absolutely torn apart by the faculty as well as some students. Of course it is all constructive, but they don't seem to leave much room for individuality. Two of the three professors argued that breathing should always correspond to the music rather than the text of the hymn.
I guess this is all pretty specific to organists, but my point is that I am worried that when it is my turn to play and if I do not play the way that the majority agrees with, I will be torn down! I can handle it, but I feel it could be potentially scarring, rather than a learning experience.
So, Mondays are pretty hard days. In addition to Colloquium, I have Theory and The Modern Novel (James Joyce isn't as easy to read as my professor says!) class in the morning, then organ studio class, then a Repertory Singers rehearsal. In other words, I don't eat from 12:30 til 7:15, unless I'm lucky enough to stuff my face with a small snack around 3:30.
Tuesdays are a little better. I still have class and an organ lesson, but at least on Tuesday evenings I'm not compelled to cry from the crazy stress and tension in colloquium!! It's not that bad, though.
In my Theory class, we've been talking a lot about the philosophy of music and how to correctly interpret something. It is very interesting and deep, and I love that type of discussion. I would much rather think about music in an abstract way then do theory exercises from a textbook everyday. We also have had to sing in class and play piano in class. The class is so small that everyone is very friendly and supportive. Again, I am so grateful to have been placed in the honors track.
On Tuesday night I went to my first Eastman-Rochester Chorus (ERC) rehearsal. ERC is a choral society full of around 130 old ladies and men and maybe 20 Eastman students. The repertoire is great: we're doing Vaughan Williams "Dona Nobis Pacem" and Elgar's "The Music Makers." But the group is not made up of the strongest singers. The rehearsal is once a week for 2 hrs, ending at 9:45pm! Seems like there is a lot more I could get done in that time slot. Oh well.
Okay, time for bed. Yay for weekends!
